Second Module

I was surprised to find that of all the Modules ties I have amassed, I have only blogged one of them before today. Modules of Japan created some of the best "swing revival" ties of the late 80s/early 90s (and for more on that, see my previous Modules post), and today's tie is a prime example: it stays true to the spirit of the swing years without a slavish imitation of its motifs. For comparison, see the bona fide swing ties on display at Will's Vintage Ties.

Another tie blog is online! It's actually more than that--The Great Coat and Tie Experiment is concerned with the whole coat/tie/shirt gestalt. Blogger "Coat and Tie" posts a daily photo of his V-Zone*, exploring the natty effects of different combinations of colors, fabrics, patterns, and textures. (I am particularly interested in seeing what he does with striped shirts, as I have never had much luck with them.)

Is there any band hotter than the Klaxons right now? I don't think so!

* Thanks to K.N.O.T. for the vintage ad!

Mod Squad

This addition to my collection of Beau Brummell ties is my favorite so far. An acetate tie with woven pattern, it just oozes that swinging mod vibe that is being kept alive today by the likes of Shag, Tim Biskup, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, believe it or not--check out their line of rugs!

Spring has sprung again, it seems, and maybe this time it will stick. And I am ready, having unpacked the cream of my necktie hoard and hung them up for easy selection.

Just for fun, here is a picture of ice-encrusted trees at Beebe Lake falls just last week:



Today their bare limbs gleamed in the afternoon sun, so surely winter must be behind us now (I try to convince myself).

Just teasing

We had another springlike (albeit rainy) day on Wednesday, a perfect day (except for the rain) for a tie and sportcoat. The tie is from Seidenweber of Germany, which translates into the very descriptive "silk weavers."

Our neighbors warned us that winter was not over, and sure enough, on Friday we got six more inches of snow, then another six on Saturday. Sunday was lovely, however, with a crystal-clear sky and temperatures just warm enough to melt the snow off the roads. So we took a drive up the west shore of Cayuga Lake, whose waters were an amazingly intense blue-green, and ended up in Trumansburg for dinner at the Woodland Roadhouse. They advertise "good eats," and on that they certainly delivered: I had the tequila-marinated brisket, while the rest of the family shared a "trash-can combo:" ribs, chicken, and pork barbecue served on a trash can lid! (Inverted, on a special stand.) I ate so much I had to take a nap. The Roadhouse will definitely become a semi-regular Veneer family dining spot.

Imago

Hola, amigos. I know it's been a long time since I rapped at ya. Today was the first day in weeks that the temperature started out above freezing, so I decided to emerge from my winter cocoon (long-sleeved undershirt, turtleneck, flannel shirt, wool sweater, sometimes a second wool sweater, and a down coat) and get my tie on. This one is from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, though I don't know what work it's based on as it's no longer on the store website. (They do have a very cool David Hockney tie, though.)

Catching up on the comments that accumulated on the blog while I was tieless, I see there is some good news. Back in September, 2005, I posted a tie by New Orleans artist Grace Newburger to the blog, in which I wondered how she had made it through Hurricane Katrina. A recent blog visitor supplied this update:

"As a personal friend of Grace, I can tell you that they suffered some damage at the studio, however, nothing quite so devastating as the city of New Orleans itself. Grace is well and safe, and working on new paintings."

Yippee! Grace has a website on which she displays her incredibly vibrant art in several media, and sells some too.

So how have I spent all my time that I used to spend blogging? Reading (Glen Hirshberg, Rachel Ingalls, Mark Samuels, Kim Newman, Cory Doctorow), trolling eBay for woodcuts and serigraphs, listening to scads of music samples on emusic (the absolute best source for music downloads), improving our new house, watching the 2005 series of Doctor Who, playing Guitar Hero (I and II), remixing Duncan Sheik, and learning stained glass work at Serviente Glass Studios with my son. In other words, never a dull moment!